Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid out from the route development fund to Duo Airways Limited.

Nicol Stephen: Investment from the Route Development Fund is paid to airport operators to enhance discounts given for the start-up of new air services. No money has been paid to Duo.

Air Services

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment was made of the financial situation of Duo Airways Limited prior to the allocation of money from the route development fund.

Nicol Stephen: Before an operating licence is granted, any new airline is subject to detailed scrutiny by the Civil Aviation Authority. In addition, the Route Development Fund’s stringent evaluation process ensures that, where there is any doubt about an airline’s ability to maintain operations, the case for investment does not go beyond pre-qualification consideration.

Air Services

Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make an assessment in respect of whether any money already paid to Duo Airways Limited from the route development fund could be reclaimed due to the cancellation of its services.

Nicol Stephen: Investment from the Route Development Fund is paid out retrospectively to the airport operator on the basis of actual passenger carryings. No payments have been made in respect of future cancelled services.

Birds

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in light of the decline in the red grouse population, the consequent decline in the number of hen harriers resident on the Langholm moors and the designation of the moor as a Special Protection Area, it has any plans to encourage the reintroduction of professional grouse keepers to increase the hen harrier population.

Allan Wilson: The Scottish Executive has no plans to reintroduce professional grouse keepers to increase the hen harrier population.

  There is no scientific evidence to link the decline of breeding hen harriers at Langholm moors with a decline in red grouse. Numbers of breeding hen harriers present on moorland areas instead appear to be related principally to the abundance of voles and meadow pipits in spring.

  Scottish Natural Heritage has recently launched a Natural Care Moorland Management Scheme for its Forth and Borders Area. This covers a number of Sites of Special Scientific Interest including the Langholm - Newcastleton Hills Special Protection Area. There is a variety of prescriptions available under this scheme which will support and sustain the important moorland features of each site. Some of these prescriptions are associated with sporting management for red grouse shooting. Support for muirburn will be available on all sites. Support for legal predator control will be available on three areas, including Langholm, as part of a trial study.

Cycling

Susan Deacon (Edinburgh East and Musselburgh) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made in improving and extending the Scottish Cycle Training Scheme.

Nicol Stephen: The Executive funded organisations, Cycling Scotland and the Scottish Road Safety Campaign (SRSC) are working in collaboration to extend the current Scottish Cycle Training Scheme (SCTS). The SCTS was completely revamped in 2000 by the SRSC. Since Cycling Scotland’s inception in October 2003, the two organisations have been liaising on additional cycle training provision. Cycling Scotland now offers basic training called Ready Steady Bike. After undertaking this course, children will have the basic skills to progress to SCTS training provided by local Road Safety Units. However, children who have not completed Ready Steady Bike will not be excluded from the SCTS. A more advanced course of instruction is offered by Cycling Scotland which tackles more complex cycling tasks such as negotiating roundabouts, greenways and cycle lanes. Cycling Scotland has also embarked on a training programme for adult cycle trainers. The SCTS teaching notes are currently being reviewed to include: links with the SRSC’s Streetsense road safety resource for primary schools; information about more advanced cycling instruction through Cycling Scotland, and reference to the Executive funded school travel co-ordinators.

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much peat is extracted annually from peat extraction sites.

Ross Finnie: This information is not held centrally.

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the annual economic value is of peat extraction.

Ross Finnie: In 2001, the peat extraction industry in Scotland generated £4.5 million in turnover, or £1.8 million of gross value added.

Environment

Ms Rosemary Byrne (South of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people are employed in the peat extraction industry.

Ross Finnie: This information cannot be released, to prevent the disclosure of data relating to individual enterprises.

Environment

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to minimise the use of fluorinated gases such as hydrofluorocarbons that are known to cause global warming.

Ross Finnie: The Executive is working with the UK Government to tackle emissions of fluorinated gases. Existing measures have focussed mainly on reducing emissions through recovery and containment, rather than minimising use. These measures are outlined in the partial Regulatory Impact Assessment that accompanied the recent UK consultation on an European Commission proposal for a new EC regulation to reduce emissions of certain fluorinated gases. The proposal, which is currently being considered by EU member states and the European Parliament, includes provisions on the containment, reporting and marketing and use of fluorinated gases. The consultation document and partial Regulatory Impact Assessment are available on the Executive’s climate change website at www.scotland.gov.uk/climatechange. (Further information is available on the Department of Trade and Industry’s website at www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/fgases.htm.)

Environment

Shiona Baird (North East Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what support is available to users of industrial refrigeration systems who wish to convert their machinery to less environmentally-damaging hydrocarbon refrigerants.

Ross Finnie: There is currently no financial support available.

Horse Racing

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it is taking to ensure that horse racing is included in its tourism strategy.

Mr Frank McAveety: There are indications that horse racing is becoming increasingly popular with visitors to Scotland, and accordingly, VisitScotland is working with Scottish Racing to explore opportunities and develop plans to build on this popularity. In addition, the tourism team at Scottish Enterprise are also involved in this area.

Justice

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-5794 by Cathy Jamieson on 9 February 2004, whether any information has been made available to the US authorities in connection with visa applications on an indirect basis.

Cathy Jamieson: Neither the Scottish Executive nor the Scottish Criminal Record Office makes available either directly or indirectly information to the US authorities in connection with visa applications. As indicated, however, in the answer I gave to question S2W-5794, individuals may obtain information about themselves under the Police Act 1997 and the Data Protection Act 1998. The individuals concerned do not need to state the purpose for which the information is required. Some may require it for visa purposes and the information may be passed on by the individuals to the US authorities in that connection.

Justice

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what it anticipates the additional costs will be to the Justice Department of having a UK Supreme Court, rather than the Court of Session, and what the breakdown of any such costs will be.

Cathy Jamieson: The new Supreme Court will take over the same jurisdiction, in relation to Scotland, as exists at present in the Appellate Committee of the House of Lords and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. The Court of Session will continue in existence and will exercise the same jurisdiction as at present.

  The final form of the new court has not yet been developed and the proposals are still being scrutinised through parliamentary processes. We will consider the full budgetary implications once the proposals are clearer.

Livestock

Eleanor Scott (Highlands and Islands) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether discussions were held with the European Commission regarding its livestock improvement schemes.

Allan Wilson: None. However, we have been approached on this matter by the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (which is responsible for ensuring UK compliance with the Community Guidelines for State Aid in the Agricultural Sector).

Livestock

John Farquhar Munro (Ross, Skye and Inverness West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether additional support will be made available to any townships that may be detrimentally affected by its decision to replace the Bull Hire Scheme.

Allan Wilson: No. The Bull Hire Scheme was intended to deliver improvement to cattle stocks not as a form of financial support for crofting groups. The members of participating groups continue to have access to the full range of agricultural support schemes available in the Highlands and Islands and to the special assistance available to crofters and persons of like status through the Crofting Counties Agricultural Grants Scheme. In due course they will also have access to the grant scheme that will replace the Bull Hire Scheme.

Local Government Finance

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive by how much grant funding allocated to Inverclyde Council changed from 2002-03 to 2003-04.

Mr Andy Kerr: Inverclyde Council received an increase of £10.5 million or 8.8% in revenue grant in 2003-04.

Local Government Finance

Frances Curran (West of Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the grant funding allocated to Inverclyde Council in 2003-04 was ring-fenced, broken down by purpose.

Mr Andy Kerr: Inverclyde Council were allocated £11.304 million in ring-fenced specific grants in 2003-04. This is broken down in the table.

  


Purpose

Amount 
  (£ Million)
(Rounded to the Nearest Thousand)



Police

8.576



Civil Protection

0.005



Supported Employment

0.030



In Service Training (of Teachers)

0.131



Gaelic

0.068



Mental Illness

0.193



Social Work Training

0.041



National Priorities Action 
  Fund

2.259

Public Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether a tram link or a heavy rail link to Edinburgh Airport is its higher priority and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is supporting the development of both the tram and the heavy rail link to Edinburgh Airport. Each of these schemes will serve different markets. A tram link to the airport would provide fast access from various parts of the city, whilst the heavy rail link has the potential to link Edinburgh airport with the entire Scottish rail network. The development of both projects is being taken forward by Transport Initiatives Edinburgh.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will refund Aberdeenshire Council for any damage to the B979 road between Stonehaven and Maryculter resulting from the closure of the A90 at Muchalls Bridge and, if so, when.

Nicol Stephen: The closure of the A90 occurred because of an incident on the road and traffic had to be diverted onto the B979 for safety reasons. It is not normal practice for one roads authority to reimburse another where traffic has to be diverted because of incidents or accidents.

Roads

Mr David Davidson (North East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when its programme of safety improvements at the A90 junctions at Laurencekirk will be completed and how much it will cost.

Nicol Stephen: The programme of safety improvements at the A90 junctions at Laurencekirk will be completed by the end of July 2004. The total estimated cost of the works is £65,000.

Skye Bridge

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether £23.64 million, the agreed cost of the Skye Bridge at July 1990 prices, has been collected in tolls and, if not, when it estimates that this figure will be reached.

Nicol Stephen: The agreed costs have not yet been recovered through tolling. Information on this issue and the detailed terms of the contract itself, are now the subject of commercially confidential negotiations with Skye Bridge Limited, with a view to ending the discredited toll regime for the Skye Bridge.

Skye Bridge

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive by what statutory authority it permits the charging of road tolls on the A87 at the Plock of Kyle and how this is consistent with the prohibition on tolling in Inverness-shire granted by William I, King of Scots, in perpetuity in 1180.

Nicol Stephen: The power to charge tolls at the Skye Bridge is set out in section 27 of the New Roads and Street Works Act 1991, and is implemented by The Invergarry - Kyle of Lochalsh Trunk Road (A87) Extension (Skye Bridge Crossing) Toll Order 1992. The interpretation and application of a Royal Charter of 1180 in the light of these more recent powers is a matter for the courts.

Skye Bridge

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, given that only the road authority or a concessionaire with lawfully assigned powers might properly charge and collect tolls, on what statutory basis other organisations are permitted to charge tolls on the Skye Bridge.

Nicol Stephen: No other organisations are permitted to charge tolls on the Skye Bridge.

Skye Bridge

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it can confirm that William I, King of Scots, by royal charter declared a prohibition in perpetuity on tolling in Inverness-shire and Moray in 1180 and that this declaration is protected by the terms of Article 21 of the Act of Union 1707, concerning the rights of royal burghs, and has never been repealed.

Nicol Stephen: The question of whether such a charter is still in force and its effects, interpretation and application is a matter for the courts to determine.

Sport

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will publish the results of its review of sports facilities.

Mr Frank McAveety: The reports of the audit of local sports facilities commissioned by  sportscotland are being finalised and will need to be considered before publication arrangements are decided.

Vaccines

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-7038 by Malcolm Chisholm on 1 April 2004, whether it will list all cases where thiomersal has been removed from vaccines as a precautionary measure.

Malcolm Chisholm: The regulation and safety of medicines is reserved and is the responsibility of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). The MHRA has advised that since October 2003 the following vaccines have had thiomersal removed from the manufacturing formulation of the bulk vaccine and consequently the finished products:

  Tetavax - adsorbed Tetanus Vaccine;

  Diftavax - adsorbed Diphtheria and Tetanus Vaccine for adults and adolescents;

  Influvac - influenza vaccine, surface antigen, inactivated, and

  Mastaflu - influenza vaccine, surface antigen, inactivated.

  Thiomersal is not used in the manufacturing process therefore these vaccines do not contain a manufacturing residue.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Catering

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will discuss with Oxfam the possibility of one of its new fair trade coffee shops being sited at the new Parliament building.

John Scott (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body): : As we had to plan well in advance of the migration to Holyrood, the contract for all catering outlets was let last summer. I can confirm, however, that all catering outlets at Holyrood will serve only fair trade coffee and tea.

Tartan Day

Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what plans it has to write to American and Canadian state and provincial legislatures in advance of Tartan Day 2005, specifying and quantifying any support that could be forthcoming from it to facilitate Tartan Day events.

George Reid: Plans for Tartan Day 2005 will be considered by the Parliamentary Bureau in due course.

  The Parliament has made a point of engaging with state and provincial legislatures during Tartan Day, and has so far visited the National Assembly of Quebec and the Ontario Legislative Assembly in Canada, and in the United States the state legislatures of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and Maryland.